Heating device for water fountains



y 1940. E. M. KEEN 2,201,901

HEATING DEVICE FOR WATER FOUNTAINS Filed Dec. 29, 1938 Ina-62%;-

m through the medium of brackets 8, is a perch 9 Patented May 21, 1940 2,201,901

UNi'lED STATES PATENT OFFiCE HEATING DEVICE FOR WATER FOUNTAINS Everett M. Keen, Vincland, N. J.

Application December 29, 1938, Serial No. 248,325 4 \Ulainis. (Cl. erees) This invention relates to improvements in as shown. In the conventional installation, the heating devices for drinking fountains for base i is set in the ground, and it will be noted poultry and live stock, and more particularly to that the base has an opening it which conifountains equipped with means for automatic muicates with a drain pipe it, said pipe ex- '5 Water supply. tending to a suitable sewer or drain. a

A principal object of the invention is to pro- Insofar as described the fountain in its convide a simple, efiicient and inexpensive heater struction and mode of operation is well underfor fountains of the stated type. stood in the industry. It will be noted that the Another object of invention is to provide arrangement is such that water dislodged from an electric heater which may be manufactured the pan 3 by the fowl or dripping from the pan 19 at small expense, will be entirely waterproof, passes into the bottom of the casing 72 and is durable and trouble-free, and which will be highdischarged through the drain pipe Similarly 1y adaptable not only to the various commercial in cleaning the pan, it is only necessary to lift types of fountain, but 1139 to others of less conone side thereof from its bracket support to ventional design. permit the water to discharge into and from the The invention further resides in certain novel casing 2, as previously described. structural details hereinafter descri ed and illus- In cold weather, it is necessary in fountains of trated in the attached drawing, where-in I have this type to provide means for preventing freezshown in perspective a conventional form ing of the supply pipe 2, particularly in the expoultry drinking fountain equipped with a posed portion thereof including the valve 5. It 20 heater made in accordance with my invention; is necessary also to maintain the water in the With reference to the drawing, the fountain tray at a temperature above the freezing point therein illustrated consists of a base member i and suitable for consumption by the fowl. Varconventionally of concrete, a cylindrical casing ious devices are used for this purpose, such for which may be made of sheet rectal and which example as oil burners or lamps, but these are embraces the base as shown, a pan or tray for generally unsatisfactory by reason of the odor water which is supported by suitable at and dirt which they generate, and also by reathe top of the cylindrical casing and a water son of the necessity for required periodic servicsupply pipe 4 which extends up vardly through ing and refueling. It has been proposed also the base i and t u h t e casi o posito heat fountains of this type electrically, but tion above the pan The pipe includes the prior electrical devices have been inadequate valve 5 which is operated automatically through largely by reason of their failure to adequately the medium of a float F5 in the 3, se d float heat the Supply pipe i th l ti l expgsed being connected to the valve mechanism by valve area and also to maintain the water in the 05 means of a rod 5. The float-contrclled valve pan a desirably Warm ten1pe1ature maintains the water in the pan ii automatically o f factors h ret fore precluding the near predfierminej i At use of electricity as a heating medium has been slde and the cefsmg 2, In W the requirement under the conditions in which present msmnce suppsrteu on [he Casi-n9; these fountains operate for electrical equipment which is entirely waterproof and immune to deterioration or damage by contact with water.

upon'which the fowl may stand when drinking \1 ve J .lal v'r n ard vent the fowl from entering the pan said f had been .devlsed Prior 2 miendon guard nevertheless permitting to the pan Wale}? was ,both Immune to t v for drinking purposes. In the present instance, 1Suffi1em1y Flexpcnswa and economical the guard. which consists of a base iii of its l m Class 9 equipment the F Wire and 5 series of rods 55 which ccnvfirge w cut invention, I provide an electric heater which a point above the ring, is hinged at E2 to ti: top not 01115 is entirely immune to by i of the casing 2 which permits displacement of but which is extremely Simplf? 111 form and the guard from its normal position above expensive manufactulfl which 15 pan h pan 2, is suppgrt'ed by 1; cgnsigthighly efficient in preventing freezing of the ing in the present instance of a pair of cross upp y r p n f th automatic v v wires I3, I", the ends i l of which are turned and which also may be depended upon to mainoutwardly over the upper edge of the *ing 2 tain the water in the tray at a temperature above 55 freezing and suitable for consumption by the fowl.

A heater made in accordance with my invention comprises a tube or sheath l1 preferably of a non-corrodible ductile metal, such as copper, in

which is inserted an asbestos-covered electrical heating element. Heating elements of this character are well known and available in the trade. This heating element is of lesser length than the tube and extends from one end of the latter to an intermediate point where it joins an asbestoscc-vcred conductor extending from the other end of the tube. The conductor in turn is connected to a rubber-covered lead wire I8. This end of the tube H is sealed around the rubber insulation of the wire l8 by suitable means, and I have found it practical to form this seal by rolling or otherwise pressing the metal of the sheath inwardly so that it clamps solidly against the rubber insulation around the complete circumference. This pressed-in section of the tube ll is indicate at is. The opposite end of the tube H is also sealed, as for example by crimping and soldering. That portion of the tube l1 containing the heating element is then secured by suitable means in proximity to or against the supply pipe 4 in the interior of the casing 2 and to the valve 5. In the present instance, the tube is clamped to but is not in direct contact with the pipe A, the clamps being indicated by the reference numeral 25!. From the valve, the tube ll turns downwardly and again upwardly to form a depending loop 2| which enters and is partially immersed in. the water in the pan 3, and the upterminal end of the tube is elevated as shown well above the level of the water. The heating element preferably extends continuously from the lower end of the tube to a point indicated at A which is slightly above the level of the water in the pan, so that the directly heated portion of the tube embraces the supply pipe 4 and the valve 5. but does not extend to water in the pan 3. As a result of this arrangement, the heat generated by the heating coil is carried by conduction through the copper tube downwardly into the immcrsed portion of the loop 2!, thereby supplying heat to the water in the pan, and at the same time the immersed portion of the tube precludes the passage by conduction of any substantial portion of the generated heat to the upper terminal end of the tube and to the rubber-insulated lead wire IS. The immersed portion of the tube l1. therefore, performs a double function, in that it supplies heat to the water in the pan, and prevents damaging heat from reaching the rubber insulation of the lead wire I8, thereby insuring that the waterproof joint at the upper terminal end of the tube shall be maintained under conditions of use. In the absence of the immersed portion of the tube l1, sufficient heat would be carried by conduction through the tube to the upper terminal end of the latter to destroy the ruber insulation of the lead wire and witttial waterproof joint between the tube and the lead wire.

When the lower actively heated end of the tube i! is held away from direct contact with the pipe l and the valve 5, it will be apparent that the Heat supplied to the pipe and to the valve from the heating element will be by radiation from the metal sheath H, except for that part of the heat which conducted from the tube to the pipe through the clamps 20, 29. By insulating the tube 5? from the clamps 20, or by utilizing for the clamps materials of a non-conducting character,

the heat passing to the pipe and the valve by conduction may be eliminated or reduced to a negligible amount. On the other hand, the heat is carried to the water in the pan 3 by conduction through the copper tube l! by reason of the immersion of the loop 2i. It is apparent that under some circumstances a more intimate relation between the tube I "l and the pipe 4 and the valve 5 may be necessary or desirable, in which case the actively heated portion of the tube 11 may be secured in direct contact with the pipe and the valve. Similarly, if more heat is required in the water, the electric heating element within the tube may be extended into the immersed portion of the tube, but should not be extended beyond the immersed portion of the tube. It is to be noted further that the lower actively heated portion or the tube 8? which occupies a position in the interior of the casing 2 will supply heat by radiation to the air in the interior of the casing, and through the air by convection to the bottom walls of the pan 3. It has been found unnecessary to extend the heating element below the point in the interior of the casing 2 in which it is shown in the drawin, but if under severe conditions a larger portion of the pipe 4 requires heating if" tube l'l may be extended accordingly.

The extreme simplicity and economical construction of the heater is to be particularly noted. The heater comprises merely a length of copper or other suitable tubing, a commercial form of asbestos-covered heating element, and an asbestos-covered conductor and rubber-insulated lead-in wire. The production of the heater involves no manufacturing complication, so that the heater may be produced at extremely low cost. The heater is thoroughly waterproof and free from damage by contact with water, and is sufficiently flexible to permit its being applied to practically any form of drinking fountain.

I claim:

1. The combination with a receptacle and a water supply pipe extending to the receptacle, of a tubular member having a portion thereof extending in heat exchange relation to said pipe and containing an electric heating element, an insulated conductor entering one end of said tube and connected to said heating element, a portion of the tube adjoining said end being immersed in the water in said receptacle and thereby insulating said end against passage of heat by conduction from the actively heated portion of the tube, and sealing means for the ends of said tube.

2. The combination with a receptacle, a water supply pipe extending to the receptacle, a valve in said pipe, and means for automatically operating said valve to replenish water withdrawn from the receptacle, of a tubular member having a portion thereof extending in heat exchange relation to said pipe and valve and containing an electric heating element, and an insulated conductor entering one end of said tube and connected to said heating element, a portion of the tube adjoining said end being immersed in the water in said receptacle and thereby insulating said end against the passage of heat by conduction from the actively heated portion of the tube.

3. The combination with a casing, of a receptacle mounted in the top of said casing, and a water supply pipe extending through said casing to the receptacle, of a tubular member having a portion thereof extending in the interior of said casing in heat exchange relation to said pipe and containing an electric heating element, and an insulated conductor entering an end of said tube and connected to said heating element, a portion of the tube adjoining said end being immersed in the water in said receptacle and thereby insulating said end against passage of heat by conduction from the actively heated portion of the tube.

4. For use with apparatus of the character described comprising a receptacle and a water supply pipe extending to said receptacle, an electric heater comprising a metallic tubular inemher having one end thereof shaped to extend in substantially parallel heat exchange relation to said pipe and containing at that end an electric heating element, an insulated conductor extending into the opposite end of said tube and connected to said heating element, the said end of the tube being formed to tightly embrace the insulating cover of said conductor to thereby seal the tube, an intermediate portion of the tube being shaped to enter the receptacle for immersion in the contained Water to thereby insulate the conductor-receiving end against excessive heating by conduction from the actively heated portion of the tube, and means for sealing the end of said tube.

EVERETT M. KEEN. 

